In the past, traffic-control and signaling personnel generally relied upon their own body movements in conjunction with the use of hand-held flashlights or hand-held signs to signal others and direct traffic. For example, the person's hand and arm movements in conjunction with the flashlights or signs could be used to direct oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. to stop, turn a specified direction or to proceed in their present direction.
Using hand coverings such as gloves with illuminator accessories is well known in the prior art. An example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,011 to Bain et al. discloses a hand glove and light signal attachment controlled by a wrist-mounted switch. The Bain patent does not allow the user to operate the switch single-handedly with the hand while wearing the glove, and provides a singular light signal attachment.
The alarm and entertaining glove depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,467 to Chung-Piao provides a plurality of illuminators, each singularly mounted upon the finger portions of a glove. Additionally, an audio alarm function is present. A switch closes the circuit to activate the functions only if the thumb and forefinger are continuously held together. An additional glove identifies U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,105 to Koenen Myers et al. that provides for a work glove with a centralized light source, which is fed through fiber optics to the finger end. The Myers et al. patent does not include provision for a multiple lamp array, nor an onboard power supply.
Continuing, the apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,154 to Coulter et al. illustrates a phosphorescent glove with the ability to have a child represent a fictional cartoon character. The apparatus has an illuminator contained within a ring upon the glove finger, and a switch activator provided upon the palm of the glove. The apparatus disclosed within Coulter et al draws primarily upon the phosphorescent ability of the glove coating for illumination.
A prior attempt to improve on this situation provides a glove that includes an equilateral triangle formed from a reflective material on the palm and back of the glove The gloves have been used for traffic-direction purposes because the upwardly oriented triangles can be used for signaling when the user points the hand to the side, in which case the tip of the triangle points in the direction of the user's fingers and indicates to others that they should proceed in the indicated direction. Similarly, when the user's hand is pointed so the palm faces others, the red, upwardly oriented triangle indicates that they should stop.
That art is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,357 to Mead, which provides for a signaling glove with light reflective portions in geometric designs mounted upon the backhand portion of the glove, finger portions, and the palm portion. A separate light emitter is adaptable to illuminate the central triangular geometric design and the palm reflective portion. The triangular geometric design is oriented to have one point directed toward the finger portion of the glove. The glove of Mead relies substantially upon the reflective patches applied to the glove body.
Another glove apparatus illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,235 to Mayo attaches singular light emitting units upon each fingertip of a glove. A thumb mounted switch and on board battery are present. No provision is allowed for sequential illumination of the light emitting units in a directional fashion.
Additionally, shown in U.S. Pat. No. D369, 309 to Marbach is the reflective traffic safety glove which has no illuminative accessory, and simply reflects light presented upon its surface.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a hand wearable, reversible rope light type light emitting flexible framework that provides single-handed activation for the illumination function, and these prior devices make no provision for turning the light source on and off single handedly with the hand wearing the framework attachment.
These modified glove structures have taught useful accessories, in particular glove structures with light accessories, however, the modified glove structures have not found commercial success A missing ingredient in those modified glove structures is a presentation that generates appeal and understandability while providing durability and functionality in the desired use.
Therefore, it is anticipated that a need exists for a new and improved hand wearable multiple element light emitting apparatus that can provide single-handed activation and illumination, while enhancing the presentation of motor vehicle hand signals.
Previously disclosed under the Disclosure Document Program, Sep. 28, 2003 identified as No. 539,271 in the U.S. Patent Office, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. The present invention further departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art by the provision of a reversible, hand worn flexible framework, and a multi element lighting component which presents a sequential lamp display ability across the combined hand and finger length, and in doing so provides a superior illumination apparatus primarily developed for providing an enhanced motor vehicle operator safety accessory.